Chapter LV: Out in the Woods, Part 1
One night after playing some Craftsburg, Kota goes to bed. In his dream, on a Sakura tree, a lush and bountiful amount of purple wisteria flower is perched on it. From the ground, termites then invade it. However, there is one wisteria left and as they approach it, a small vicious predator wipes them all, protecting the last wisteria. The creature is blue with silver linings on its sides and on his head. Through generations and generations, that Sakura tree is actually the same one beside the dike.
In the morning, he is still not awake but someone is at their gate and rings his doorbell. His mother lets the person into their house. As he wakes up,
"Wakey-wakey, breakfast is ready sweetie"
When his eyes are still blurry and in vignette,
"Mom, is that you? Ugh what is it?" (Kota)
"Time for you get up and let us play" (Mysterious voice)
When he rubs his eyes, on top of him is Akiko.
"Good morning, my Ai" (Akiko)
"Woah, good morning? Is this some freaky Friday that I don't know about?" (Kota)
"What are you talking about? It's Saturday" (Akiko)
"Oh, my bad" (Kota)
"Btw, here's your breakfast" (Akiko)
"Oh, thanks" (Kota)
"Ouch, something's poking my butt! What do you have under here?" (Akiko)
Confused, Kota checks under his bed, he almost got the wrong idea.
"It's just my sword" (Kota)
"Bruh, the hell were you doing with your sword last night?" (Akiko)
"I was posing with it last night, and of course, I was afraid" (Kota)
"C'mon, I'm here now, besides, it's just the dark, there's nothing to be afraid of" (Akiko)
"Yeah, but it's my ongoing phobia" (Kota)
"Oh I see, you'll overcome it eventually" (Akiko)
After he's finish eating his breakfast, they then go down to play some video games. While on their break,
"So, I was thinking, what if we try to go camping?" (Akiko)
"Camping? Like in the woods?" (Kota)
"Yup, but don't tell it to the others yet, it's going to be a surprise. Just tell them during the hangout." (Akiko)
They then decided to make it just an overnight since it may disrupt someone's schedule. Kota texts their group chat about a hangout next Saturday. Everyone in the group chat complied except for Gin since he has somewhere to go on those days. She then goes home since she has
At the park on Saturday, they gather and wait for the others until Kota and Akiko arrive. They all go to the mall and played billiards. After that, they go to the café to get some refreshments. While they're waiting,
"So, guys, me and Kota are planning something today" (Akiko)
"What is it?" (Hanako)
Akiko then looks at Kota then nods.
"Well, we're going to have a camping overnight today at Akiko's place in the woods." (Kota)
"Broooo, what?!" (Natsuki)
"Like right now?" (Enmei)
"You serious?" (Himari)
"Well technically, it's going to be this afternoon, 5pm for y'all to prepare" (Akiko)
"Hmm, ok time check, 12:47pm, there's still time guys so just text us if some of you can't come" (Kota)
"Huh? Are you kidding? We would love to come" (Hanako)
The group then dispatch after getting their drinks as they go to get their things for the camping. Meanwhile Kota and Akiko continues their hangout at the mall, and go home shortly to get their bags.
At 5pm, they all gather at the park and they all hop unto Akiko's car.
"Bruh, get the towel" (Enmei)
Enmei then uses the towel as a cover but as they make a right turn, the towel gets blown away by the wind. As they stop by the mountain slope, they have reached their destination. They get off and carry their bags to the top,
"Sorry guys, the back entrance is damaged" (Akiko)
"It's ok, we can manage" (Kota)
They reached the top and put their baggage near the old traditional house.
"Ok, is everyone here now?" (Kota)
"Wait, who's that dude?" (Akiko)
"Hanako, where are your bags?" (Himari)
"Oh wait, Enmei!"
Enmei carries many bags from end-to-end while struggling to get up the hill.
"Boy, ain't that going to be heavy" (Kota)
"You can say that again" (Akiko)
"Hanako, look what you did to Enmei!" (Himari)
"Oh fudge, I'm really sorry for that" (Hanako)
"Bruh want some help?" (Asahi)
"No thank you, I can do this on my own" (Enmei)
"Oh yeah, didn't you bring Vish?" (Natsuki)
"Nah, I didn't tell her anything about this and I wanted to have some slack from her" (Enmei)
As they settle their bags inside the house, they then get some woods for a campfire. After getting some, they all gather around in a semi-circle to tell some stories.
"Ok guys, who wants to go first?" (Kota)
"I got one. I hope this will knock your socks off" (Enmei)
"Oh yeah, where are the marshmallows?" (Hanako)
Akiko runs to the rest house and gets 7 packs of marshmallow and hands it out to each and one of them.
"Ok, do continue", says Hanako as she nods her head at Enmei.
"So I was in camping at school. At 9pm, everything was so silent until I hear something is rustling on the lush green grass. I went out to see if it was someone else, but no one was there at all. So I returned back to my tent. When I was going to tuck myself again in my beddings, there it was again. I went out and I see a lady with red glowing eyes. She's so haggard, there's blood stain on her white dress, and she was growling. I went back immediately to my tent and cover myself with my blanket. When morning came, she wasn't there anymore", says Enmei.
"Maybe it was someone else", suggests Natsuki.
"Nah, there are many girls but no one among them resembles her", he says.
"Hmm, but it's highly likely to be one of them though", she suspects.
"Nope, I'm telling y'all, it's none of them", he reassures.
"Ok, who's next?" (Kota)
"That would be me", says Asahi and then continues,
"So there's one time I went to the US to visit a relative there. Normal American homes have wide lawns both front and backyards. But the most terrifying thing is that some suburbs are near the forests, and anyways we're near the forest. And one evening, me and my cousin were playing badminton when suddenly the shuttlecock went deep into the forest. I went to retrieve it but I heard rustling around me. From afar, I see a long slender figure. I was about to go but he saw me. When I was running towards the house, I turn back to saw a guy with no face who is so slender and tall, and wearing a suit. Until then, I haven't seen him but rumors say that he is responsible for the disappearance of children in the neighborhood"
"Yeah, I think I already have heard that man, he's in a video game and an urban legend in the US" (Kota)
"True, any one else? Btw, Asahi that's a good one, hope it didn't follow you here" (Hanako)
The group then laughs this off until they heard rustling around them. As they are terrified, it turns out to be a fox.
"Did anyone flinch? None? Ok next one?" (Himari)
"Hmm, I think I got one", says Natsuki. She then continues,
"During one of my vacations, I went to the Philippines to visit one of my grandparents. In the Philippines, I went to a church, though I'm not catholic, but they insisted me to go in. The church has a plain façade and a discernible bell at the back due to concrete designs. It didn't seem old at the front but at the side are lined up with bricks, and has a large crack and tip on it's right side near its façade. I felt something unnerving though the highway is just in front of it. The area is lined up with trees on the front and left side of it. The surrounding of the church is just a local neighborhood though not much of them are old houses though. And there I saw near the entrance, a headless priest. I didn't do anything but thinking about it still haunts me today."
"Anyone else have a story? Yeah, I think that should be all", says Enmei as he pretends that he isn't scared at all.
They then go to their bags and see that their tents are gone. They look at the backyard and a someone had already set them all up. They now have question marks on their faces until a butler comes out and tells them that he's the one who did it. They then said goodnight to one another and sleep.